This is a collection guide. It is a description of archival material held in the Special Collections Division,
J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. The materials described here are physically available in our
reading room. To see what's been digitized in this collection, click on the thumbnail at the top right of this page
or look for hyperlinks in the container list and/or the preliminary inventory.

Correspondence (1932-1955) reflects events spanning much of Maginnis's career as a naval officer.

Two early letters (1932) from American Consulate General Willys R. Peck evaluate Japanese military activity in the Chinese cities of Pukow, Hsiakuan, and Nanking. Two letters (1941) concern the transmission, reproduction, and related matters of codes and ciphers between the U.S. and Britain. A related report in the miscellaneous file consists of notes of a secret meeting held at Victory House (July 1941) concerning meteorological work with British authorities with whom Maginnis worked, the need for enciphering wireless weather transmissions to England, and other issues related to the development of a code. The bulk of the remaining correspondence deals with the bombardment of the USS
IRWIN and subsequent wounding of Maginnis by North Korean forces near Songjin, Korea (1953). A final letter (1955) pertains to the visit of the USS
SALEM to Dubrovik and comments on the character of the communist press.

Of particular interest are two diaries. A diary maintained by Maginnis (Jan.-July, 1941) describes his trip to London and the day-to-day progress of the war in London while he was stationed at the U.S. Embassy there. The other diary (Jan.-Feb., 1955) pertains to his command of the cruiser USS
SALEM and reflects routine ship exercise and training drills in the Mediterranean. A flight log maintained by Maginnis documents his brief career as an aerological officer. The log lists his flights, flight hours, type of aircraft, and reason for missions.

Also included are items from London (1941) including a passenger list from the SS
SIBONEY, a driver's license, ration book, and various British military club invitations. Notes on China (1945) describe the USS
MINNEAPOLIS' s diplomatic efforts at Chefoo, Weihawei, Liukung Tao Island, Chinwangtao, and Peitaiho. These Chinese areas were occupied by the Japanese until U.S. forces helped to liberate them. Clippings (1953) from two issues of the "The Mighty Eye," newsletter of the USS
IRWIN, describe the North Korean attack on the
IRWIN during which Maginnis received wounds.

Photographs pertain primarily to the USS
MINNEAPOLIS (1942-1944, undated) and the USS
SALEM (1955). Included in the
MINNEAPOLIS folder are prints of soldiers injured at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, being transferred to the USS
MINNEAPOLIS (1942), members of a ship party inspecting the ruins of Kwajalein Island (1944), and a series of prints concerning the naval bombardment of Satawan Island (1944). A second folder of
MINNEAPOLIS prints concerns war damage sustained by the ship (1943). The
SALEM photographs reflect the flagship's wardroom festivities as well as documenting the crew's activities. Other
MINNEAPOLIS material consists of a scrapbook (undated) outlining the pictorial history of the ship. Also of interest are a series of photographs (1951, undated) reflecting the logging of mahogany trees in Liberia, Africa.

Miscellaneous items include a muster roll of the USS
BLACK (1943), news releases relating the wartime histories of the USS
MINNESOTA (1945) and USS
SALEM, and a history of the USS
WINSTON.

Items totally unrelated to Captain Maginnis include an allotment form (1801) and a commissary list (1802-1803) for the USS
CONSTITUTION ("Old Ironsides").

Capt. Jack Maginnis (1904-1977) was a 1927 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a meteorologist. During his thirty-one-year naval career Maginnis served aboard the USS
CONSTITUTION, USS
PARROTT, USS
BLACK, USS
IRWIN, and commanded the USS
MINNEAPOLIS and USS
SALEM. He served in World War II and the Korean Conflict, during which he was the ranking U.S. naval officer wounded.

This page is only for requesting materials that you wish to view in person in the Reading Room at Joyner Library.
It does not permit you to view the materials online or to request their photoduplication. If you would like to request
materials for photoduplication, please visit our Copying and Permissions page.

Use the checkboxes to select the boxes/folders you would like to view, then click continue at the bottom of the page.